Clamp for electric sockets



m Whig G. A. JOHNSQN ET AL CLAMP FOR ELECTRIC SOCKETS Filed May 6, 1926 Patented Nov. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES retirees PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAF A. JOHNSON AND FRANK E. JOHITEON, OF NEVV'BEYDFORD, 1\ ASSACHUSETTS,-

ASSIGNORS TO JOHN I. PAULDING, 113C OF EJEV T BEDFORD, IvIASSACHUSETTS, A.

COEEOIB-ATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

CLAMP FOR ELECTRIC SGGKETS.

Application filed May 6, 1926.

This invention relates to a clamp for electric lamp sockets and is more particularly dosigued with reference to sockets made of porcelain and similar materials which are easily fractured.

it is customary in electrical installations in toilet and bath rooms and other rooms and spaces finished in white or light colors to provide electrical fixtures of white or tinted porcelain corresponding in color to the finish of theroom or space. In such cases the electric light sockets and similar parts comprise an exterior casing of porcelain adapted for holding in its interior a. porcelain carrying wire terminals. These fixtures generally comprise two parts, a cap band or similar part adapted to be permanently mounted on the conductor or wires and a shell or socket within which is arranged the porcelain terminal member. Various means liavebeen devised and used heretofore for holding the cap and shell members together. In some cases,these members have been provided at their engaging edges with ears adapted to receive fastening screws but such means are hard to manipulate and the ears detract from the attractive appearance of the socket as a whole. In other cases, the two parts are fastened together by a long central screw passing through the porcelain terminal member and threaded into the cap but this arrangement has the disadvantage of being awkward to manipulate and involving a certain loss of time and labor in assembling the socket and frequent loss of the fastening screw.

The main object of our invention '2; the provision of a clamp so constructed that the shell and cap can be easily and expeditiously locked together in a tight relation.

Another object of the invention is the pro vision of a clamp which may be permanently locked on one member to avoid any possibility of it or any of its parts being separated therefrom and lost.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a clamp of such construction that by the manipulation of a single screw the two parts of the socket are drawn together in a tight relation without any possibility of the porcelain being cracked or fractured.

A further object of the invention the pro isle]: of a clamp which is attractive in Serial No. 107,123.

appearance and which does not detract from the appearance of the socket as a whole.

Other objects of the invention will be more specifically set forth and do. cribed hereafter.

Our invention contemplates a clamp comprising an outer member and an inner member held pern'ianently together by a tightening member loosely mounted in the outer member and threaded through the inner member. The outer member is formed to clamp the two members of the electric socket together by engagement with flanges on the outer faces thereof and the inner member has a turned end adapted to ride on one end of the outer member to secure tight clan'iping action of the outer member. This construe tion is especially adapted for use on porcelain sockets because itdraws the two parts of the socket into-atight engagement and prevents ar y fracturing of the porcelain.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention, Figure l is a side el vation of a porcelain electric socketmade in two parts which are clamped together by two clamps on opposite sidesthoreof constructed in accordance with our invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewjof a portion of said socket and of a clamp on an enlarged scale, the two parts of the socket being shown in seoarated relation and theclamp in, open po- -on; F 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the two parts of the socket locked together by the clamp; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of that portion of the cap and shell in separated relation to which the clamp applied; Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the inner member of the clamp and Fig. 6 is a similar Y of the outer member of t m clamp.

Referring to the drawings illustrating the preferred form of our invention, there is shown a clamp comprising an outer clamping member 10 and an inner cr mping member 12 held together by a screw 1e which s threaded tl'irough the inner member 12 and headed over at 16. The screw passes loosely through a central opening 17 in the outer clamping member, the head 18 of the screw holding the outer clamping member against removal. The opening 17 in the central member is countersunk so that when the clamp is tightened the rounded head of the screw projects but slightly beyond the outer face of the clamp. At one end the outer member has a .bent over end clamping portion 20- and the other end of the outer member iswbent in wardly at 21 toward the inner member and V thenstraightened out at 22. The inner mem ber 12 isbent inwardly 24 around the threaded hole receiving the screw and one end 26 is bent inwardly toward the outer member to engage the inner face of the oblique portion 21' of said member.

In the use of our invention, for locking two:

members of an electric fixture together, two clamps are'empl'oyed on. opposite sides of the fixture and preferably each member Ofthe fixture should be provided with a flange at that end which engages the other member of the fixture to afford a grip for the clamping ends of our device.

To. illustrate the method of use we have shown in the drawings, one form of atwo part porcelain electric lamp socket to which the clamps maybe applied- This so :ket comprises a cap member 30 of usual form pro-.'

Vided'with. aflanged edge 32 and a shell mem ber 34'also having a similar flange 36 at its upper adapted toeng-age the flanged edge32 ofthecap when the two members are in assembledr'elation (Fig. 1) Each of the socket members is provided with suitable recesses to receive the clamping members and to permit the clamp tobe locked permanently on the socket memberof the fixture. To accommodate the screw 14. connecting the two clamp members, each of the socket members is provided on each side'with a semi-circular recess 40 which together-form a circular opening when thetwo members are together. Said recesses are centrally located inthe walls of thecap and socket the inner andouter wall faces adjacent the recesses being bevelled to receive the inwardly bent circular portions of the two clamping members. The flange 32 11 the cap is also cut out at 44 to receive theob s will be always accessible when required for clamping the socket onto the cap. By loosening the screw 14 the two clamping members may be sufii'ciently separated-toperinit'the clamp to be mounted in the position shown in Fig. 2 with the outer clamping'ineinber haxe ing: its bent lower end inserted through the hole46and its extreme end 22'i-n-the recess 48 andthe inner member having its bent end 26 project outwardly through said recess 46 and engaging the inner face of the bent por= tion- 21 of the outer member. By tightening the screw 14 the two members maybe drawn together suificiently to prevent the clamp from. being separated from the socket member 34. When the socket member is to be secured. to. the cap, thescrew 14 is loosened sufficiently to allow the upper ends to be split apart as shown in Fig. :2 at which time the socket may be placed in position with its flange in engagement with the flange 82 of the cap. The tightening of the screw 14 then draws the two. members of the clamp together into the position shown in Fig. 3. After thesetwomcmbers are drawn together the end '26 of the inner clan'ipingmember rideson the oblique face of part 21' of the out-erclamping member and forces it downwardly thereby drawing the twoparts of the electric fixture tightly together.

It is to be observed that in the tightening of the clamp by manipulation. of the screw 14, that no strain is placed upon the corner portions of either the cap. or the socket and therefore all tendency to fracture thecorner edges of these porcelain membersis entirety eliminated. The twoinembersof the electric fixture are drawn, into close engagement by the cooperative action of the bent end 2620f the inner member pushingupwardly and the end 20 ofthe outer'member pushing down.- wardly and as both; of these partsihavelarge bearingsurfaces, therei's no tendency tofrac ture the porcelain. v

It is tobe observed that our cla-mpis of very simple construction and can. be made at a low cost of production; that it can be permanently locked on the socket memberwhen the parts are shipped toavoid anyloss of the clamps during the handling and; lastly that the operation of the mounting of the socket on a cap involves nothing more than the ma nipulation of two screws in the two clamps on the opposite sides of the fixture. The clamps are preferably nickeled to harmonize with white porcelain and therefore add to'rather than detract fromthe attractive appearance r of the fixtures. I

Although we have shown a clamp as applied to twopart aorcela-in electric sockets, it is to be understood that it is capableoflbroad 1'. 'l he combination with an-electrie fixture comprising two. parts having flange'di ens gaging-endsand one of said partsbeing pre vided with an opening adjacent its flanged end, of a clamp for clamping'said two'parts applications an'dmay be used-for connecting 1 together, said clamp comprising an outer clamping member provided with oblique clamping ends for engaging the flanges of said two parts, one or said ends passing through the said opening in one of said parts and being adapted to engage the inner face of the wall of said part, an inner member engaging the inner faces of said parts and havlng one end turned to enter the said opening and to bear against the oblique portion of the end of the outer member within said opening and means connecting said outer and inner members to draw them together into clamping relation.

2. The combination with an electric fixture comprising two parts having flanged engaging ends and one of said parts being provided with an opening adjacent its flanged end, of a clamp for clamping said two parts together, said clamp comprising an outer clamping member provided with oblique clamping ends for engaging the flanges of said two parts, one of said ends passing through the said opening in one of said parts and being adapted to engage the inner face of the wall of said part, an inner member engaging the inner faces of said parts and having one end turned at right-angles to enter said opening and to bear against the oblique portion of the end of the outer member within said opening and a screw permanently connecting said outer and inner members to draw them together into clamping relation.

3. The combination with a two-part electric socket comprising a flanged cap and a shell of a clamp permanently mounted on the shell and comprising a screw headed at both ends, an outer clamping member loosely mounted on said screw and having one end bent over for encircling the flange on said cap and an inner clamping member threaded on said screw and having one end turned toward said outer clamping member for engaging the same and drawing said outer member downwardly into clamping action when said screw is manipulated.

a. The combination with a two-part electric socket, comprising a cap and a shell having flanged engaging ends and said shell having an opening adjacent its flange, of a clamp for clamping said two parts together, said clamp comprising an outer clamping member having one end turned obliquely inwardly through the said opening in said shell and then straightened to engage the inner face of said shell and having its other end bent inwardly to encircle the flange on the said cap, an inner member for engaging the inner faces of said cap and said shell and having one end turned to enter the said opening and to engage and ride on the oblique portion of said outer member therein and means for drawing said outer and inner members together to clamp said two socket parts together.

5. The combination with an electric fixture comprising two parts having flanged engaging ends, one of said parts having an opening adjacent its flanged end, of aclamp comprising an outer clamping member having its two ends formed for encircling the flanges on said fixture parts, an innermember for engaging the inner walls of said fixture parts and having one end turned to enter said opening and to ride upon one end of said outer member and means for drawing said clamping members together to clamp said two fixture parts together.

6. The combination with an electric fixture comprising two parts having flanged engaging ends, one of said parts having an opening adjacent its flanged end, of a clamp comprising an outer clamping member having its two ends formed for encircling the flanges on said fixture parts, an inner member for engaging the inner walls of said fixture parts and having one end turned to enter said opening and to ride upon one end of said outer member and a screw for drawing said clamping members together to clamp said two fixture parts together.

7. The combination with an electric fixture comprising two parts having flanged engaging ends and one of said parts having an opening adjacent its flanged end of a clamp comprising an outer clamping member having its ends formed for encircling the flanges on said fixture parts, an inner member in engagement with the inner walls of said fixture parts and having one end turned to enter said opening in one of said parts and to ride on one end of said outer member and a screw for drawing said clamping members together to clamp said two fixture parts together.

8. I he combination with an electric fixture con'iprising two parts having flanged engaging ends, one of said parts being provided with an opening adjacent its flanged end, of a clamp comprising an outer clamping member encircling the two engaging flanges of said fixture parts, one end of said outer member projecting into said opening in an oblique direction, an inner member engaging the inner walls of said fixture parts and having one end turned into said opening and en gaging the oblique portion of the end of said outer member within said opening and a screw for drawing said clamping members together to cause said inner member to ride upon said outer member and to clamp said two fixture parts together.

9. The combination with an electric fixture comprising two parts having flanged engaging ends, one of said parts being provided with two openings adjacent its flanged end at opposite points, of a pair of clamps at opposite points on said fixture, each clamp comprising an outer clamping member encircling the two engaging flanges of said fix ture parts, one end of said outer member proj ecting into one of said openings in an oblique direction, am inner Inembei" engaging the inner Walls 0i said fixture'parts and having one; end: turned into said opening and engag the oblique portion of the end of. said outer member W-ithiu said opening and a screw for drawing said clamp members Ttogetheu to cause; said inner' member to: ride upon said outer member and: to: clamp said two-fixtume pal-es vcogethenl e e g 10; The combination with: an electric fix time v comprisingtwopzrrts having fianged'engaging ends one of said parts-beingpi ovided with tW-oivopenings adjacenfi iiis flanged end atopposite points, of a pairoioppositely disgenomes one. end turned to enfcenone of said openings to ride. upon one end OffSiL-ld outer member and means for drawing saiid' clamping members together to cl mnp said two fixture parts together;

In: Witness whereof, We hereunto setour hands this -thii d day of May, 1926.

GUSTAF A. JOHNSON. FRANK E. JOHNSON. 

